One Mom’s Program is Making Sure Dubuque Children Eat this Christmas

Many children in Dubuque and the larger Tri-State area rely on preschool/school lunch programs in order to get one of their few meals a day. When kids go on their annual winter break, those two weeks put an added strain on parents to make sure their children have something in their bellies.

Once again, Danielle Meyer is looking to make an impact on that front. For the seventh year in a row, she is collecting and assembling "Belly Bags." She started the campaign just a few years ago with a simple concept in mind: keep Dubuque and Dubuque-area kids fed during their multi-week winter break.

What are Belly Bags?:

Intended for kids ages 3-to-5-years-old (and this year, babies too!), Belly Bags are designed to make sure young kids have something on which they can munch when schools are closed and not serving their usual meals. Danielle Meyer and her 11-year-old daughter Lydia returned to the studio to discuss their Belly Bags campaign and further disclose what kind of items they are looking to collect.

Some of the items they are looking for include:

• Applesauce
• Fruit cups
• Easy Mac
• Oatmeal
• Juice boxes
• Goldfish
• Winter hats
• Socks
• Gloves

How to Donate:

For those looking to donate some of the listen items, or other comparable items, you can do one of two things. You can contact Meyer directly (her contact info is listed below), or you can make a donation at White Front Feed & Seed in Dubuque on Dodge Street and/or Liberty Recovery on White Street. White Front will also take monetary donations and hold them for Meyer to purchase food herself.

When are the Belly Bags Delivered?:

For more details on the rollout of the Belly Bags, how you can donate, or even how Danielle's 11-year-old Lydia is helping with the bags themselves, take a listen to our interview below!

Meanwhile, if you want to arrange a donation drop-off with Meyer personally, you can reach her at 563-451-9449. Or join Belly Bags' Facebook group for more information!